The purpose of this blog will be to introduce a variety of topics relating to genealogical research topics and Southeast Michigan. Topics will be updated on a regular basis and input is always welcome.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Monday, December 5, 2011

Jackson
County Genealogical Society monthly meeting is this Tuesday, Dec. 6th,
6:30PM, at Jackson Dept On Aging cafeteria. Phil Rosenberger will talk
on adoptions, searching for adoptees, and life at the Kellogg
Sanitarium. Would love to see you there!!

Monday, November 21, 2011

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Where and when were your grandparents born? (both sets) What do/did they look like?What were their occupations?How did they come to meet and marry?

This is
a important question, because this moves us on to the next generation.
Family members did not always come from where you thought they did. My
fathers family was in Ohio when he was born, but they were regionally
from Michigan. My mom was born in Michigan, but her family was
originally from Ohio. Both families moved a great deal prior to getting
settled in one place, but would eventually locate where other family
members had already located.

Asking
questions about appearance may not seem like much, but they may provide
clues on ethnic origins. It will explain many of the features and
characteristics of our current generation that we may not understand
today.

Jobs
were so important to understanding our nations transition from a
Agrarian society to a urban setting. In my own family they had been
farmers for generations, but then in the early 1900's they moved to
cities and started working factory and railroad jobs. They moved from
living on large pieces of land. They located in apartments and city
houses. Many things had changed from living a farmers life.

It is
important to understand where your grandparents met, because it will
offer clues on other family members. Did they meet at church or
school? Maybe a place they worked or someone that lived in the
neighborhood. Were they friends with other family members? All of
these are important facts for our continued genealogical journey.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

When and where were your parents born?What are their full names?What do/did they look like?What were their occupations?How did they come to meet and marry?

Again
the plan here is to the more interesting information about our families
histories. Understanding if they were born in the same town they live
in now. Were they born overseas and where? Understanding what there
full names will help in looking for future generations, because of the
use of common naming patterns. Understanding if names were changed and
why.

I am
always struck the looks of ancestors two generations ago and the
resemblance to the people of today. My father is short, but if you look
at my grandpa and all his brothers they are very tall.

Where
did they work? The jobs of yesteryear are often ones that do not even
exist in today's world. Were they laborers, farmers or work for the
railroad. Occupations and the accumulation of wealth often explains the
lack of a paper trail. People that did not have a lot of money did not
normally have very good paper trails.

Where
did they meet shows the closeness of neighborhoods. Did they meet at
church or school? Were they a friend of another member of the family?
All important items for putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Big
news! We've created a whole new series of courses for beginners. These
First Steps classes are designed to help you build a solid foundation of
good research skills. Click on the link below to learn more about our
newest class, "Using Birth Records" (but hurry—it starts on Monday!).

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Still time to register for the National Black Genealogy Summit, Fort Wayne, Indiana 20-22 October. (Walk-in registrations will be accepted, but register ahead of time --frees up time for research in the Genealogy Center!)

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

If you are going to visit the court records office in a rural courthouse, considering finding out what days are days when court is in session. Offices are usually busier those days, and if possible, going on off court days may make things easier.

After a 15 minute business meeting to elect the proposed slate of officers and to approve the 2011-2012 budget, we will begin our program on Beginning Genealogy. 10:45 - 11:15 - Getting Started on Your Family History (Sue Cromwell); 11:30 - 12:00 - Researching in Church Records (Rev. Cory Randall); 12:00 - 12:45 Break for Lunch; 12:45 - 1:15 - Census Records Research (Jim Jackson); and 1:30 - 2:00 - Newspaper Research (Karen Krugman). After the last presentation, DSGR members will be available to assist you in your research in the Burton Collection records.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Folks I need your input. Do you have things you come across while
searching your family that you have questions about? Please post them
on this site and I will respond with answers that will help you as well
as other readers. I look forward to your comments.

We're looking for our next Family Tree Firsts blogger. Maybe it's you! Click the link below to find out more.

When and where did you meet your wife/husband? How did your meeting come about? Was she/he your first love? Can you describe the proposal, the wedding ceremony, the honeymoon?

The
stories that make genealogy interesting are those that brings our
relatives lives alive. These are not normally going to be found in a
book or online. They come from the memories of our relative both oral
and those that have been documented.

Learning
the events that led up to our parents marriage adds the important parts
to our genealogy. Getting the specifics of where they met. How long
the courtship lasted and such always provide interesting stories.
Learning of previous loves is always a interesting feature of the family
interview.

Then
finally all the dealing with the wedding. Who was in the wedding? Who
attended? What church were you married in? Did you have a reception?
For future generations this is genealogy gold. This is why we do the
research we do. We want to learn about our families lives. Through
understanding them our own lives start to make more sense.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

just installed 16,234 new US and surname genealogy links from Karen and the Linkpendium volunteers at http://www.Linkpendium.com/
Linkpendium now indexes 9,467,172 genealogical Web pages. THANKS to all
the volunteers who are submitting links -- everyone, please make sure
we include your favorite sites!

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Folks here is a new civil war site dealing those soldiers from the North that spent time at Andersonville. It also talks about the Sultanna disaster that was bringing many poor souls back up North when it sank.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

You
need at least three pieces of information to identify an ancestor: a
name, a date, and a place. I often see individuals listed in pedigrees
by genealogists with a name and a date, but often the place is something
really general like Michigan or United States. Since almost all
genealogical records ar...

Not
every research problem can be solved by an internet search. Some
sources are only in their original form and require onsite access.

Monday, September 19, 2011

When and where were your brothers and sisters born?Did they marry?Have Families? (Follow up for the details) What were they like?Do you have any favorite memories of them?

The
important element of identifying the location of birth for the siblings
is to put together the migration pattern of the family. In my own
family my grandmothers family moved from Northwest Ohio, Northeast
Indiana, Northeast Ohio and then finally to Southeastern Michigan. The
motivation was the time period and the constant need to find
employment. In this situation it was not driven by family already being
located in the area. Each of my G Aunt's and Uncle's was born in a
different location. Meeting their spouses all along the way.

The
importance of marriage is when you are looking to trace the siblings
lines. Learning about these families help in understanding the fabric
of the family.

Understanding
more about siblings helps in understanding more about your own family
line. This to me is what makes genealogy fun.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Where were you born and when? Do you remember any stories that your parents shared with you about your birth? Do you have your birth and/ or baptismal certificates?

It
is important that you get all the information when determining where
people were born. Remember in rural locations the family home was a
common place or the local midwife. Remember to people would go to the
closest city which did not always mean in the same county, state or
country. I did research for a client who had family in Vermont and
could not locate them. They happened to live along the US Canadian
border. Guess what the family filed all their records in Canada. When
interviewing for stories in large families remember memories are going
to vary a great deal from the youngest child to the oldest. You will
get surprises from the people that you would not have felt when you
started would have had the most information. Interview everyone that is
willing.In
many cases the best source for birth records prior to a civil record
would be the church. Remember that baptismal certificates often
indicate the date they were baptized not the day they were born.Tomorrow more insight into the questions.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

What is your full name?Do you know why your parents chose that name for you?Were you named after an ancestor?Someone famous?Do you have a nickname?

Why
you say is it important to get the full name of the ancestor? Well for
one thing it was very common to get the middle name of many of our
ancestors from surnames on the maiden side of the family. In my
genealogy I had a middle name that was used repeatedly. It turned out
that two generations down the line it ended up being a surname. This is
very common.Knowing
why someone used a particular first name may offer clues to past
generations. Naming traditions were very common in many ethnic
backgrounds. The first born son was named after the fathers father, the
first born daughter was named after the fathers mother, second son was
named after the mother's father, second daughter after the mother's
mother and so on down the line. Please understand that our families
were not real creative in coming up with regional names. A relative
uncommon name like Magdalena can be popular when naming traditions are
involved.A
common name to someone famous does not indicate that your ancestor is
related to that person somehow. It is common today to have research
done to prove relationships to people that are famous. Proof is not
always there. Finally
pay attention to nicknames. My own grandmother was named Babe for the
first five years of her life, because my great grandparents could not
decide on a family name. Surprisingly these names appear many times in
public records. Checking several sources will help in finding the true
name. So
when doing your interviews be sure to ask questions that will offer
solutions to problems that may be created as you do your research.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Now that we have gathered the information we have at home the next step is to put it in a context that we can understand where we need to go. This step involved putting together all the names that you know starting with you. This can all be put on what is know as a Pedigree chart. Typically these are what is known as a five generation chart. Start on the left side of the sheet. Then work your way to the right and fill out as many blanks as you are able. The top part of the charts is your paternal line (father's side) and the bottom portion is the maternal line (mother's side). Be sure to fill out the categories of birth, marriage and death. Please identify the date as follows. ex 4 September 2011. Include the location of the event. (Toledo, Lucas, Ohio) Don't worry about filling it all out if you don't have it all. Reference where you got your information. A genealogy without proof is fiction.
Evaluate the blank spots. This give us the areas where we need to find more information. At this stage of the search it is now time to contact relatives. Start by making a list of people you know. As you go through the contact process be sure to ask for names with others that may be able to help. Be aware that often the people you think will help and those you don't think will help do. Information comes from the most unlikely places. The stories from the oldest to youngest can vary a great deal. Prior to making the calls, make a list of questions that will help you keep on track. Tomorrow we will go over a list of questions.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Are you thinking about researching your Family? Most people face
this question at the beginning of their search. Many start after they
retire, but for me it began when I turned thirteen years old. Some
people are just curious about there families past. For others it
becomes a search for medical history.

One of the first steps in preparing for the search is to look
to see what you have on hand. For me it was a large box that was handed
to my mother when one of our relatives died.
Things to look for
include obituaries, family bibles, discharge papers, birth
announcements, etc. etc. Much of this information will not make sense
in the beginning, but make sure to keep it. The family bible often
given as a gift when a couple got married was the safe in olden times.
Don't just look at the family information on the inside, but leaf
through all the pages. Here if you get lucky you will find funeral
cards, obits or military discharge records.
Make sure to organize this information for later use. One of the largest challenges for any genealogist is keeping things organized. This should start from the beginning. The next step is to contact relatives.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

The Monclova Community Center will have genealogy expert Derek Davey teaching
a six-week course .
Class participants will also have the change to go to the Allen County Library
in Fort Wayne, Indiana at the end of the course with Derek. Class size is limited.When: beginning Friday, September 30 from 10 a.m. –
12 noon

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

The city of Monroe is the seat of Monroe County, located in the southeast corner of Michigan’s lower peninsula. The Monroe in History website is the result of a collaborative effort among three entities: Monroe County Community College, the Monroe County Museum/Historical Commission, and the Monroe County Historical Society. Its purpose is to be a resource “students and researchers can use in their studies, and to foster interest in local history.”

Historical Photographs The photographs in this collection are from the Monroe County Historical Museum Archives. They are organized into categories: agriculture, bridges, churches and church buildings, clubs and teams, commercial buildings, government services, industry, lake and river, military, monuments, newspaper specials, people, residences, schools, streets, and transportation. To view a photograph, first click on the category link to open a new page with links to the individual photographs. Click the "Back" link to return to the page with links to the photographs. The large jpeg image may be downloaded to your computer, if you are not able to view the PDF files by clicking on the link. You must have a photo-editing program to print the images.

Civil War Letters The letters and other written materials in this collection are from the Monroe County Historical Museum Archives. The writings of thirteen individuals are represented here. Sometimes there are several letters authored by a single individual, other times there is only a single letter. The letters are available in two formats. They may be opened as PDF or as jpeg image files. The documents may be downloaded and printed.

Index to Images and Letters An index to the complete collection of images and letters has been provided on the website to enable you to quickly find items. Click on the links in the index list to open them.

A number of resources are available on the library’s website. In addition to Monroe County resources, there are a couple from the bordering area of Ohio. Scroll down to the section titled ‘Resources Available @ MCPL’ to access them.

Bygones of Monroe This section contains transcriptions of articles from Monroe County area newspapers. The ange of subjects covered by the articles include social gatherings, such as the Annual Muskrat Banquet (where nearly 1,800 muskrats were eaten), obituaries, reports of Civil War era activities and actions, and Circuit Court reports.

Laurent Durocher Account Books This resource is the alphabetical index to the account books of Laurent Durocher, who was active in the founding of Frenchtown, which became known as Monroe. It covers a thirty year period, from May 1, 1812, to February 24, 1842. The volume begins with family vital statistics information. The remainder covers Durocher’s “merchant business, banker, postage, tavern business and legal work.”

War of 1812 Veterans Buried in Monroe County The list of fifty veterans of the War of 1812 buried throughout Monroe County was published in the April 17, 1951, edition of the Monroe Evening News. It was prepared from cemetery and war records and local histories.

Indexes There are a number of indexes on the website, including:

Itemizer Surname Index; a surname index to the Itemizer, a Monroe newspaper that covered the societal happenings of the area, for the years 1877 and 1878.

Marion Child’s Interviews: Monroe resident Marion Child conducted interviews with elderly county residents during the late 1950s and early 1960s. The index is organized by topic and copies of the information may be ordered from the library.

There are two obituary indexes. One is an alphabetical index to the Monroe Commercial for the period from 1870 through 1873, plus 1878. It contains the name of the deceased, date of the obituary and page and column numbers. The other is an alphabetical index to the Wood County Sentinel newspaper, which was published in Bowling Green, Ohio. It covers the period from 1867 through 1876. The data fields include name, city, death date, age, obituary date, and page and column numbers.

There is an index to St. Mary’s Catholic Church baptism records for the period 1830 – 1839. The data fields in this index include the name of the individual being baptized, both parents’ full names, date of birth, and page number.

The Mount Carmel Cemetery is located in Toledo, Ohio. It is one of Toledo’s oldest Catholic Cemeteries, dating back to 1845. This database is an alphabetical surname index, which contains the section and lot number as well. The cemetery records have been microfilmed.

In addition you will find a list of Monroe County cemeteries and local newspapers, as well as information on tombstone carvings and their meanings.